Swedish Sandwich Cake

This Swedish Sandwich Cake, or the Swedish Smorgastarta, is a delicious sandwich layer cake recipe made with smoked salmon and cream cheese to create the perfect party food that will have everyone ask for seconds. Quick, super easy to put together, my sandwich cake is as tasty as it looks.

When it comes to quick easy food to enjoy on the go or when you don't feel like cooking a more elaborate dish, nothing can beat a good old sandwich. And the sky is the limit as far as sandwich fillings are concerned.

Still, the combo cream cheese and smoked salmon is one of a kind - and certainly one of the most popular sandwich fillings. Sandwiches have always been a great party food, but how about we take the simple sandwich to the next level?

That's exactly what this sandwich cake does: it transforms the regular sandwich into a centrepiece that looks and tastes amazing, and can be served to any occasion, be it more casual or a more formal event, like Christmas or New Year party, birthdays, corporate events and so on.

Jump to:

• What is Swedish Smorgastarta
• Step-by-step photos and instructions
• Easy swaps
• Expert tips
• Swedish Sandwich Cake

What is Swedish Smorgastarta

But what is Smorgastarta? It's a dish of Swedish origins, very popular in the Nordic countries, that consists of sandwiches layered together to resemble a cake that is garnished with cream cheese.

Fillings can vary, and different fillings can be found in the same cake - as for bread, again, any kind can be used. My version of this savoury cake is a much simpler, and easier to put together too.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

My sandwich cake recipe is on a smaller scale, and can be enjoyed by up to 6 people, but if you are looking to make it for a larger crowd, double up the amount of ingredients.

I used crustless 50/50 bread, which is half white, half wholegrain, but any kind of bread can work here - the crustless one looks a bit posher though.

• arrange 2 slices of bread on a serving plate
• spread a thin layer of cream cheese over the slices
• arrange 2 slices of smoked salmon over, then top with 2 bread slices to make a sandwich
• spread another layer of cream cheese, then salmon, and continue to layer them until you use up the 8 slices of bread - if you want to go bigger, have 4 slices of bread on the plate, and pile up from there.
• garnish with lemon slices, fresh dill leaves and salmon strips for a more fabulous look

Easy swaps

I absolutely loved this savoury cake - which will no doubly make its way onto our table when I plan our Christmas Dinner menu or New Year's Eve Appetizers list. It can also be the star of your Afternoon Tea party menu - after all, sandwiches have also been at the heart any a fine British party bites.

There are many ways of making this savoury sandwich layer cake, and if you still want to use salmon, but you are not quite a fan of the smoked one, you can swap it for cooked salmon that is flaked for an easier use.

Or you can use different fillings for every different layer: egg mayo filling, tuna dip, ham and cheese, cucumber and cheese, and so many others.

Expert tips

NOTE! The cream cheese I used is regular soft cream cheese than is ideal for spreading, I believe that in the US at least, cream cheese comes in a block and has to be beaten to make it soft.

Also, make sure you use full-fat cream cheese, the low fat version is way too watery and messy, and it won't be spread as well, making the cake rather sloppy and runny. But other than that, this dish is simplicity in itself, do give it a go!

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